Our mission:

To provide leadership and resources to assist state and other agencies in providing vocational rehabilitation (VR), independent living (IL) and other services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment, independence and integration into the community and the competitive labor market.

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) provides leadership and fiscal resources to assist state and other agencies to provide vocational rehabilitation (VR), independent living (IL) and other services to individuals with disabilities.

The vocational rehabilitation (VR) program provides grants to states to support a wide range of services designed to help individuals with disabilities prepare for and engage in gainful employment consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice. Eligible individuals are those who have a physical or mental impairment that results in a substantial impediment to employment, who can benefit from VR services for employment and who require VR services.

The data collection and analysis unit collects, reviews, and approves the forms that provide information on consumers served by the VR program. The data from those forms is used to prepare monitoring tables, information for the annual report to Congress, standards and indicators, and requests from other interested parties. The data unit also provides support to state teams in their data analysis activities and is involved in managing several contracts related to individuals served by RSA programs.

RSA develops and maintains a fiscal performance data profile of each state grantee and Centers for Independent Living discretionary program grantee, improves and maintains a fiscal monitoring process that state teams use to determine if state grantees and Centers for Independent Living discretionary program grantees are meeting their fiscal obligations under their respective statutes.

Independent Living (IL) programs maximize the leadership, empowerment, independence and productivity of individuals with disabilities and to integrate these individuals into the mainstream of American society. IL programs provide financial assistance to provide, expand and improve IL services; develop and support statewide networks of centers for independent living and improve working relationships among state independent living rehabilitation programs, centers for independent living, Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILC), Rehabilitation Act programs outside of Title VII and other relevant federal and non-federal programs.

RSA develops and administers many areas of policy and legislation that directly affect individuals with disabilities and their families. We also play critical roles both in the development of the regulations that bring policies into effect and in monitoring that these laws and regulations are followed. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, is the major legislative source for programs and initiatives administered by RSA.

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) is a component of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). NIDRR’s mission is to generate new knowledge and promote its effective use in improving the ability of persons with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the communit, and expand society's capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities. NIDRR's focus includes research in areas such as employment, health and function, technology for access and function, independent living and community integration and other associated disability research areas.